Month: March 2009

Hello all. The last 2 outings for CF Indios have been two to forget to say the least. As most of you may know by now on March 15th Indios played Tigers de UANL and cameback from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game. In a game were once again playing with more than 1 forward showed a positive result, fans and media members alike were left with a sense that this team was heading into serious problems with regards to the ever present theme of relegation. This past Saturday that ugly sense became and undeniable fact. Indios lost to San Luis by a score of 4-1. This defeat put the Tribe in 17th place on the relegation table, ahead of only Necaxa.

What's different with this team is the obvious question? Everyone in the borderland was asking for a more aggressive starting lineup and they got one. Head coach Hector Hugo Eugi started two forwards (Ezequiel Maggiolo and Daniel Frias), and played with 5 defenders which was essentially only 3 because Tomas Campos and Javier Saavedra were constantly attacking down the left and right flanks. The problem was that overall the defense had, without a doubt, the worst performance of the season. They made mistakes never seen before all season long which San Luis capitalized on ever time, four times to be exact.

What I feel is the biggest problem with this team, is essentially they are showing a lack of heart on the field of play. While I know that every player on the Tribe's roster is committed to this team 110%, over these past 5 games were the Indios have either lost or tied, they have demonstrated a decline in passion, urgency, anger, and overall attitude. However, I am aware that every situation has its exception and this is no different. I will have to say that excluded from this criticism/analysis are Tomas Campos, Juan Curbelo, and Ezequiel Maggiolo. These three consistent players for Indios have shown an infinite amount of fight and an enormous tip of the hat goes out to these three individuals.

So what now??? Where do we go from here??? This coming weekend every team has the week off due to World Cup Qualifiers. Indios will visit and play a friendly against Monterrey on Friday. After that game they will have 8 days to prepare for a home game against Atlante, and with that game the final stretch begins. Six more games, 18 points to dispute, and 9 is the magic number for CF Indios to continue to exist in Mexico's Primier Soccer Divsion. Nine points for the Tribe would force Necaxa to get 15 out of the 18 possible points left on the season. Jimmy Hoffa's body would be easier to find than for Necaxa to get those 15 out of 18 points, this is why 9 points is a virtual lock for Indios and everyone in the soccer world knows it. Until next time….VAMOS Indios!!!!

Hello all. After losing by a score of 3-1 against Atlas in Guadalajara, Jalisco on Saturday night, CF Indios has once again complicated and endangered their existence in Mexico's Premier Soccer Division. With their third loss of the season Indios moved into last place in their group and fell to 16th out of 18 places on the relegation table, ahead of only Tigeres de UANL and Necaxa. Both of these teams also lost over the course of the weekend (thankfully). For the first time this season I have to say that the Indios were dominated overall and the final result was just. In a season were the breaks have not gone the Indios way, on Saturday night this was not the case. Atlas was thoroughly better than the Tribe and the 3-1 victory was indicative of that.

Did Indios make mistakes? Yes they did. Both offensively and defensively and that cost them. Needless to say this was not a good way to start the second half of the Clausura 2009 season. What concerns me more than the mistakes that were made on Saturday night was level of intensity that Indios demonstrated on the field. It just seems that over the course of the last four game Indios has lacked that intensity that had been their trademark ever since they moved up to first division. In addition, that sense of urgency that all new teams that are avoiding relegation should have, and that was deeply instilled in the Indios also has appeared to vanish from within them.

Puebla and Indios are heading in different directions on the relegation table. Puebla is getting away from the 18th spot and Indios is getting closer to it. What's the reason? Talent? No. Indios has better talent than Puebla. Coaching? No. That's a draw. Fan Support? No. Puebla's crowd lives and dies with their team as does the crowd from the borderland. The thing that is seperating them at this point is WILL. The will to obtain positive results. The will to win and not depend on the mistakes and losses of other teams with relegation problems. The will, to continue to exist in Mexico's Premier Socccer Divsion. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!!

CF Indios obtained their third tie at home in 4 games against Jaguares, remained undefeated at home, and accumulated another point Sunday afternoon at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium bringing their total to 10 points in the Clausura 2009 season. Indios once again dominated their opponents throughout the game but lacked the ability to finish off crystal clear opportunities on gol. Indios was closer to the win than was the team from Chiapas, but it the end it was the visitors that escaped Juarez with a point in their pocket. It seems that this has now become the theme as of late with visiting teams that come to the Borderland.

Indios came out Sunday morning in their usual form at home not wasting anytime attacking their opposition. The first corner kick in Indios favor came in the first couple of minutes of the game. The pressure from the Tribe was constant and paid dividends in the seventh minute when Juan De La Barrera's diving header off of a center from Luis Ricardo Esqueda resulted in the ball finding the back of the net. Indios attacked with the same intensity for the next 15 minutes putting Jaguares totally on the defensive. However, the tide began to turn at around the 25th minute when Jaguares started to settle down, and began to generate scoring options. Four minutes later Jaguares scored on a rifling shot from Oribe Peralta inside the Indios penalty area. For the rest of the first half Indios was consistent in their offensive scheme and did not score another gol thanks to a finger tip save by Jaguares goalie Edgar Hernandez toward the end of the first half.

All looked to be in Indios favor going into the second half and 3 points for the Tribe appeared to be the only logical conclusion to a game that they were dominating. Then the second half came and the task of adjustments and substitution surfaced. Juan Pablo Rodriguez then came on for a Juan Agusto Gomez in the 58th minute. I would call that substitution fair. Ten minutes later, the now common position for position substitution of Daniel "El Maleno" Frias for Ezequiel Maggiolo(forward for forward) happened in the 68th minute. One did no better than the other, maybe if both would have been in the game at the same time better chances for gol would have developed. This would have been very possible simply on the lone fact that Jaguares' defense would have had to worry about 2 forwards instead of just one. The third substitution was the one that put me on the moon. With 15 minutes to go in the game. Head Coach Hector Hugo Eugui substituted a midfielder (Juan Ramon Curbelo) for a defender (Sydney Balderas). With five Indios defending the gol, all systems were a go for Jaguares to attack the Tribe's gol. In addition what this third subtitution announced to me was that a tie would be good enough for Indios on this day.

I do not understand how you can do this against a team that you dominated for 75 minutes, in front of your home crowd no less. I fail to understand how settling for the tie can be more appealing than looking for the victory. Well one point is better than nothing and the Tribe continues to accumulate points some will say. That reason was fine and dandy with me earlier in the season, not anymore. Indios is now at a point in the season were the application of lessons learned are supposed to be paying results. This has not been the case for the team from the Borderland. Tying at home and being ok with it should not be the case anymore. I think the boos at the end of the game on Sunday afternoon indicate this analysis in accurate. Will Indios avoid relegation? All indicators point for that to be the case. However, with all of these points being left on the table from these ties at home will eventually add up. Then all those points will be greatly missed if and when Indios avoid relegation and survive to exist another year in Mexico's top soccer division facing relegation issues once again for another two long seasons. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!